For me, the freedom to choose personal meaning in the world was terrifying at first. Where to begin? Placing trust in my intuitive or inner guidance is the only way to live a life of meaning, because that’s where searching both begins and ends. Becoming a “spiritually operative” person in the world is a matter of remembering who we truly are as expressions of God and the best tools bring us back into ourselves. I belong to no groups, practice no organized “religion,” subscribe to no one body of thought, and disdain labels. I prefer the smorgasbord of choices which sit very well on my plate.
From being a disavowed Catholic, I went to being truly catholic – broad in sympathies, tastes or understanding almost overnight. The following books helped me make great inroads into self-understanding and in making sense of people, the world, and the nature of God Him/Herself.
Here are four favorite books that have nurtured me spiritually:
| 1. A Course in Miracles by Foundation for Inner Peace Completely life-changing. It’s not for everyone, but the goal of this 3-volume set is to correct our errors of perception, to unlearn what we think we know of the world and ourselves. Its highly logical approach appealed to me when I first started working with the Course, in 1987. It saved my sanity during some very difficult periods. Its principles have a scope far beyond “religion.” Two of its most memorable precepts for me are 1) Would you rather be “right” or “happy”? And 2) That we really have three minds from which to decide: the ego mind, the God Mind, and the Mind that chooses between them. To me, everything comes back to the Course, to the Christ within. I have never found it lacking or incongruous. | |
| 2. The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels The Gnostic tradition of early Christianity taught that we are able to know God ourselves through gnosis or knowledge, without intermediaries of any kind. The Gnostics subscribed to a Father/Mother God, honored Jesus’s humanity, and sought to broaden Christ’s teachings beyond the already solidifying power of an organized Church. This is the book that taught me I could have it all — freedom and the Inner Christ, without dogma. And that Christianity’s earliest traditions are the most accessibly pure in intent. | |
| 3. The Mist-Filled Path: Celtic Wisdom for Exiles, Wanderers, and Seekers by Frank MacEowen My personal bent for spiritual “tools” is decidedly Western. I love the Eastern philosophies but my spirit soars with ancient Western traditions. In this book, Frank MacEowen tells of his deep struggle to avoid his own path toward Celtic shamanism, the consequences of avoiding it, and the world which opened up to him once he embraced it. He finds special connection between the Celtic and Native American traditions, both of which are intricately bound up with the forces of the natural world and displacement. He was thus invited by the Sioux to participate in the Sun Dance. From this book, I learned that all of nature, being an expression of the Divine, has Spirit at its heart and core, has its own Life Force which resides around and in us. A beautiful, astounding journey told with grace and poetic longing. | |
| 4. Fire in the Head by Tom Cowan Tom Cowan was a close teacher of Frank MacEowen. His book is a step away from the “Mist” of MacEowen’s book towards the anthropological question of whether or not early Celtic culture had a shamanic tradition. (I didn’t even know it was an issue.) This fascinating, well documented examination of the evidence helped me understand how the deep search for a Divine connection in ancient pre-Christian Western cultures developed into symbols we recognize today. Knowing his connection to Frank MacEowen also gave this finely researched volume a very contemporary relevance. |
Here are five more books I love for what they’ve given me:
| 5. Ask and It is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther and Jerry Hick A book of great love and guidance on fulfilling your natural mission and right to be happy in this world. One interpretive error of this wonderful body of information cannot be helped–and that is that some people use the concept of co-creation with the Divine as an opportunity to punish themselves, or others, for choices they’ve made. This book will give you key guidance and exercises on maintaining a higher level of awareness to affect your life in ways for the good of all. | |
| 6. The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies by Robert Kirk and Andrew Lang This old and rare classic was originally published in the late 17th century. Currently, I believe only one or two copies remain extant. Robert Kirk was a Scottish minister who saw no conflict between his ministry and the desire to record the ways of the Good People, as the British Isles refer to the world of Faerie. He disappeared before the book was completed, having fallen asleep one afternoon on a Faerie mound, his body never found. Very intriguing story. | |
| 7. Spiral of Memory and Belonging: A Celtic Path of Soul and Kinship by Frank MacEowen Frank MacEowen once again guides us on an intensely personal journey of Celtic wisdom. With him, we learn to move through the world with a “softer gaze.” A lovely sequel to The Mist Filled Path. | |
| 8. Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews If you’ve often wondered why certain creatures enter your life, or why you’re attracted to certain animals, there may be messages they have for you. Are you drawn to certain animals or have a collection of bears or elephants you love? Do certain animals repel you? All of them may have personal messages for you–about watching your resources, about fears you harbour, or about your leadership style. A book of great mystery, enlightened perspective, and natural interest. | |
| 9. The Medicine Way: How to Live the Teachings of the Native American Medicine Wheel by Kenneth Meadows Kenneth Meadows writes with an insider’s knowledge about living the harmony and wisdom of the Native American tradition. It provided me a solid foundation of the Native American philosophies which so attracted Frank MacEowen on his own path. With this book I come full circle. |
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I love anything and everything related to food (growing food, eating food, learning about food)....I think you would LOVE my sister's book (1st place winner of 2012 Gourmand Magazine award in the Fund Raising, Charity and Community division for a USA
If you keep rereading the last chapter, you will never get to the next one..get on with your life.
Do not hide your light so that others won't feel insecure around you. And as you let your light shine, you unconsciously give others the right to do the same.
Organic coconut oil. I was introduced to it by a VN sister a while back. It makes my skin SO smooth and it is great for my thick, curly hair! It has a hundred uses (just look it up online) and it costs so little.
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